“You horrid beast! I hate you! I hate cats! They are vile, wicked creatures!” Miss Bingley screamed. She stomped away, the effect of her huff ruined with a sneeze that echoed through the hall.
Bingley cuddled Rudy to his chest. “Do not listen to her. You are wonderful! I am going to keep you forever so she never overstays her welcome.”
Mr. Hurst trailed behind his wife out to the hall, laughing all the way. “Good show, Bingley! Good show!”
Richard leaned against the instrument. “Hurst is right. That was better than Drury Lane.” More seriously, he asked, “Are you sorely disappointed, Georgie?”
“I hardly know what to think,” she replied weakly.
Bingley set Rudy on the floor and pressed his hands together in supplication. “I beg your forgiveness for being the ignorant fool I have been. It was never my intention to encourage expectation. Believe me when I tell you I am incredibly flattered—honored, really—that you would spare more than a passing glance at me. Unfortunately, I have come to realize that I am not yet qualified to take on the privilege of keeping any lady’s heart, let alone one as precious as yours. The fault is mine and mine alone.”
Bingley’s letdown was the kindest Darcy had ever heard.
A knock at the door prevented Georgiana from replying, but her forgiveness was apparent. The butler peeked inside. “I apologize for the interruption, sir, but Mr. John Lucas is calling. Shall I show him in?”
Kindly, Bingley looked to Georgiana and waited for her consent before he told the butler to see the young man in.
“I hope we can still be frie—” Georgiana began, her eyes widening and her tongue tying when John Lucas entered the room. He was a handsome young lad. Darcy remembered Miss Lydia had praised him for his good looks. The immediate effect he had on Georgiana was baffling, but so had been her previous behavior.
Darcy supposed he must get used to deferring to Elizabeth’s better judgment regarding his sister… and so many other things.
CHAPTER34
Beneath Mr. Lucas’ handsome features was a curious mind. As the heir who would inherit Lucas Lodge, he was eager to learn estate management. Bingley had quickly befriended the young man and agreed to share what he knew. Darcy was pleased, hoping the lessons he had taught Bingley would not be so quickly forgotten this way.
Bingley invited him and Richard to accompany them to the problematic fields in need of better drainage, but Darcy refused. Bingley could make that decision himself, and there were still things he must say to Georgiana.
She had shown no inclination to leave the room since the arrival of Mr. Lucas. Her gaze followed the young men out to the hall and out of view, where it remained fixed until Darcy stood in front of her, feeling invisible.
“I, too, owe you an apology. I had no right to interfere in affairs of the heart. You are young. While the freedoms allowed an unattached female are few, you ought to be allowed to enjoy them fully.”
She looked down at her hands. “You sound like Miss Elizabeth with her talk of independence and choices. What choice do I really have but to be left behind? You have not yet married, and already I miss you. Whom shall I have when she takes you away?” A tear dripped onto the carpet.
Darcy closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her narrow shoulders, her head pressed against his heart. “I would never abandon you, Georgie. Our family is only growing. When I am occupied with estate business, you will have Elizabeth to keep you company. She will make you a wonderful sister. She has already shared her plans, and they all include you. We shall travel more. When the war is over—for it cannot last forever—we shall go to the continent. Elizabeth has never had a private tutor, and she looks forward to learning new things with you. You can invite your friends from the seminary to Pemberley.”
Georgiana sniffed. “You will allow it? I have not entertained much before.”
“A deficiency for which I take responsibility.” Darcy pulled back to hand her his handkerchief. “Mother loved to entertain. She would be proud to know that her daughter desires to follow in her footsteps.”
A brilliant smile lit Georgiana’s face. “I wish I could be just like her.”
“You already are in so many ways. She was kind and gentle, but there was a firmness to her character that even Father knew not to cross.”
Georgiana picked at her fingers and chewed her lip. “Was she never nervous that other people would not approve of her?”
“You cannot help what others think of you. All you can do is determine what sort of lady you would admire, and aim to become her. Your real friends will continue to seek out your company, and you will intimidate the others away when they see you are unwilling to change yourself to suit them.”
“Elizabeth is not intimidated by you.”
Darcy shook his head. “No, she is not, but there are times she terrifies me.”
“No! Really?” Her shock made Darcy chuckle. He understood his father better now.
“Elizabeth is a self-assured lady with firm opinions. She does not hesitate to tell me when I am wrong… and I have learned that I am wrong more often than I thought.” She had given him an ultimatum, and Darcy had no doubt she meant it. She would rather face ruin than be attached to a man she could not respect. Blast it all! He had bungled everything into a horrible mess.
A loud, rhythmic clap startled him. He had been so intent on Georgiana and his own thoughts, he had forgotten that Richard was still in the room.
Richard continued to clap. “Well done, both of you.” He rested one hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “It is about time you realized that you cannot save everyone, nor is it your business to do so.” He rested his other hand on Georgiana’s shoulder. “You allowed Miss Bingley to tickle your ears with fanciful wishes and self-serving compliments. You do not want to be like her, do you?”
